Saudi Arabia condemns deadly Beirut blast as cowardly
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia condemned a suicide attack that killed 23 people in Beirut, including an Iranian cultural attache, on Tuesday as “cowardly terrorist bombings”, the official SPA news agency said on Wednesday.
Afghan officials in Pakistan for Taliban peace talks: sources
ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) – Senior Afghan officials arrived in Pakistan to initiate peace talks with the Afghan Taliban following a breakthrough in negotiations during last month’s summit in Britain, officials from both countries said on Wednesday.
Sardinia unites in grief to bury victims of Italy cyclone
TEMPIO PAUSANIA, Italy (Reuters) – The victims of a cyclone that tore through the Italian island of Sardinia were buried on Wednesday as grieving family and friends demanded an explanation for the devastation inflicted on their communities.
In Qatar desert, Syrian opposition mourns fallen commander
UMM AL-AMAD, Qatar (Reuters) – On a patch of desert far from Syria, dozens of men gathered under a white tent to commemorate Abdelqader Saleh, a renowned Syrian rebel commander who died this week from wounds after an air strike in Aleppo.
China hospital ship to set sail for Philippine typhoon zone
HONG KONG (Reuters) – China is sending a state-of-the-art hospital ship to the Philippines following foreign and domestic criticism that it was slow and less than generous in its response to one of the world’s biggest typhoons, which killed at least 4,…
Relief for Italy’s Letta as minister survives no-confidence vote
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s justice minister survived a no-confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, shoring up the fragile coalition government ahead of looming votes on next year’s budget and to strip Silvio Berlusconi of his Senate…
Turkey says Assad exploiting delays to Syria peace talks
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday of exploiting delays to planned U.S. and Russian-backed peace talks by stepping up attacks on the opposition and said the conference must take place quickly if it was to …
Analysis: Saudi labor crackdown promises long-term gain for short-term pain
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on foreign workers has thrown millions of lives into turmoil and caused rioting in big cities, but the economy should benefit in the long run as Saudi nationals fill the gaps and cut their dependence on the s…
Bulgarian workers rally against government over wages, jobs
SOFIA (Reuters) – About 4,000 Bulgarian workers rallied on Wednesday against low wages and a lack of jobs, in a possible sign that opposition to the Socialist-led cabinet may be spreading beyond daily protests staged mostly by students.
Poland names bank economist as new finance minister
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk named a political novice as his new finance minister on Wednesday in a reshuffle designed to re-invigorate a government that many voters feel has lost its way after six years in power.
